Guinea Begins Countdown To Ebola End

Early this week, it was reported that the last Ebola patient in Guinea, West Africa have recovered. This has raised hope to the end of the viral disease which has seen over 11,000 die worldwide for nearly two years.

Guinea must still go 42 days without any new cases and after that, they must maintain a period of heightened surveillance before finally being certified free off the disease.

Health officials performed a second test Monday on a baby whose mother had died in October from Ebola.

“The baby is negative and so Guinea today is without a single Ebola patient,” said Fode Tass Sylla, spokesman for Guinea’s national Ebola response taskforce. “We are crossing our fingers and praying that nothing will happen over the next 42 days so that we can celebrate Guinea without Ebola.”

The Guinean officials also lamented on the noncompliance with health standards by some people in the country, as some prefer to bury their dead without regard for health standards, some also prefer to use the traditional healers instead of the approved Ebola clinics.

The World Health Organization declares that Ebola disease transmission has ended when the country goes through two incubation periods, 21 days each without a new case emerging.

Few weeks back, Sierra Leone was declared Ebola free by the World Health Organization (WHO) although still under surveillance by the health authority.